Endless Seasoning Bottle Rocks was already waiting by the ship, while the few crew members behind him curiously sized up the tiny cook who was about to come aboard.
“Ready?” Ryne didn’t answer.
Instead, he responded with action.
He leaped into the air, his small body tracing a clean arc before landing lightly on the deck.
The planks, perpetually damp from sea spray, were slick beneath his feet, carrying the mingled scent of weathered wood and salt.
〈Ding!〉 Congratulations!
The host has successfully boarded the Rocks Pirates.
Reward Issued: Endless Seasoning Bottle has been placed in the System Storage.
Endless Seasoning Bottle: Generates any basic seasoning the host is familiar with through imagination.
Usage limit: 3 times per day.
The system notification echoed in Ryne’s mind once again.
Ignoring it for the moment, he walked straight toward the ship’s even more dilapidated galley.
It was tiny, containing only an old stove and a few battered pots.
But for Ryne…
That was more than enough.
Rocks followed him inside and leaned casually against the doorway.
“From today onward, you’re this ship’s head chef.” “The stomachs of everyone aboard are in your hands.” Without turning around, Ryne replied calmly, “I’ll need ingredients.” “Fresh ones.” “The best ingredients you can find.” Rocks burst into laughter.
“No problem!” “Out on the sea, if you want something, we’ll take it!” “Whether it’s a giant Sea King from the ocean floor…” “…or a legendary fruit that only grows on a Sky Island!” “If you can cook it…” “I’ll bring it to you!” His voice overflowed with supreme confidence.
For the first time, a faint smile appeared on Ryne’s face.
He knew…
He had made the right choice.
The ship set sail.
Its wooden hull creaked as it cut through the waves, heading toward an unknown and boundless future.
Standing at the rail, Ryne watched the island that had raised him shrink into a tiny dot before disappearing beyond the horizon.
Sometimes, leaving the past behind was the only way to embrace a greater future.
His journey toward becoming the world’s greatest chef…
Had officially begun aboard the future ship of the most fearsome pirate crew on the seas.
The ship itself wasn’t large.
Its constantly creaking timbers told the story of countless difficult voyages.
The galley was even smaller—barely spacious enough for one person to turn around.
The air was thick with the lingering smell of fish and mildew.
Several sacks of stale black bread sat piled in one corner beside a few barrels of cheap rum.
At this point, the Rocks Pirates had only a handful of members besides their captain.
The first was a burly man named Gatz.
His muscles bulged like twisted ropes, his booming laughter rivaled Rocks’, and he wielded an enormous anchor as his weapon.
Right now, he eyed Ryne with open skepticism.
“Captain, you’re seriously letting this kid cook?” “He’s shorter than my axe.
We’ll be lucky if he doesn’t burn the galley down.” His contempt wasn’t hidden in the slightest.
The second was a tall, lean man named Silver, who spent most of his time in the shadow of the mast quietly polishing his long spear.
Sharp-eyed and taciturn, he seemed indifferent to everything around him.
The last was the shipwright, Dorum.
A short, middle-aged man with a scruffy beard, he was never seen without a hammer and a pouch of nails, constantly patching up the battered vessel while muttering, “This bucket’s going to fall apart sooner or later…” Ryne paid no attention to Gatz’s taunts.
He unpacked his belongings before carefully placing his treasured chef’s knife onto the only relatively clean cutting board.
Then he got to work.
Instead of immediately lighting the stove, he fetched a rag and a bucket of fresh water.
Patiently and meticulously, he scrubbed every greasy surface in the galley.
He cleaned the stove.
The pots.
The bowls coated with dust.
Every single corner.
His movements were so careful that it almost resembled a sacred ritual.
By the time he finished, the galley was still shabby…
But it felt completely transformed.
Gatz clicked his tongue.
“Captain, did you hire a chef or a janitor?
We’re starving over here.” Leaning against the doorway, Rocks merely grinned.
“Just wait.” Only after finishing the cleaning did Ryne turn to face the three crew members.
His youthful face remained expressionless.
Yet his voice carried unmistakable authority.
“From today onward, this is my kitchen.” “Rule number one.” “No one enters without my permission.” “Rule number two.” “Nothing except food ingredients comes into this galley.” “And rule number three…” “The most important one.” “Food is never wasted.” Gatz blinked before bursting into laughter.
“Hahaha!
Listen to the brat laying down rules!” “Do you even know who you’re talking to?” He strode forward, his massive frame nearly swallowing Ryne in shadow.
Ryne calmly looked him straight in the eyes.
His gaze wasn’t that of an eight-year-old child.
It was the steady gaze of someone who had weathered countless storms.
“I’m talking to the people who want to eat my food.” “If you can’t follow the rules…” “…you’re welcome to keep chewing your black bread.” “You—!” Gatz’s face immediately flushed red.
His fists cracked loudly.
“Gatz.” Rocks spoke only a single word.
His voice wasn’t loud.
But Gatz froze instantly.
Walking into the galley, Rocks rested a hand on Ryne’s shoulder before looking at the others with a grin.
“He’s right.” “From today onward…” “The galley belongs to Ryne.” “His rules…” “…are this ship’s rules.” His smile became dangerous.
“And anyone who breaks them…” “…gets thrown overboard to feed the fish.” Dorum simply shrugged.
Silver gave a slight nod, apparently approving of the rules.
Only Gatz remained visibly dissatisfied, though he no longer dared argue with his captain.
“Hmph.” “All right then, Head Chef.” Rocks turned back toward Ryne with an amused smile.
“Now…” “Mind showing us what you can do?” “My crew’s about ready to mutiny from hunger.” Winning Them Over Completely Ryne nodded and pointed toward the available provisions.
“These are the only ingredients?” Rocks glanced at the rock-hard loaves of black bread and several slabs of dried salted meat before awkwardly scratching his head.
“Ahem…” “We just set sail, so supplies are…
pretty rough.” “But don’t worry.” “As soon as we run into a merchant ship—or a Sea King—I promise I’ll get you the freshest ingredients around.” “These will do.” The answer surprised everyone.
Ryne tossed the hard black bread into a large wooden basin and soaked it in water.
Next, he picked up the slabs of salted meat and carefully pounded them with the back of his knife, drawing out the excess salt.
His knife skills were exquisite.
Despite working with the coarsest ingredients imaginable, every movement was elegant enough to resemble art.
He lit the stove, brought water to a boil, crumbled the softened bread into the pot, and added the diced salted meat.
Soon the pot was filled with bubbling white foam.
It looked like nothing more than ordinary porridge and smelled only faintly salty.
Outside the galley, Gatz craned his neck.
“Tch.” “I thought it’d be something amazing.” “It’s just meat porridge.” “The way he was acting, I thought he was preparing a royal banquet.” Turning his back to everyone , a delicate white bottle carved like polished jade quietly appeared in Ryne’s hand.
The Endless Seasoning Bottle.
Silently, he gave the command.
“Basic savory seasoning .” “A touch of black pepper.” “And a little A hint of rendered fat to bring out the meat’s aroma .” At once…
A single crystal-clear drop of liquid and a tiny pinch of fine powder floated from the bottle before silently melting into the pot.
The next instant— An overwhelmingly rich aroma exploded from the battered pot.
It wasn’t merely the smell of meat.
Nor bread.
Instead, countless layers of fragrance blended perfectly together.
The rich savory scent of the meat was magnified many times over.
The simmered wheat released a gentle sweetness.
A faint kick of black pepper lingered beneath it all.
Every breath made mouths water uncontrollably.
Gulp.
Gatz swallowed so hard that his Adam’s apple visibly bobbed.
His eyes widened.
Every trace of mockery vanished, replaced by shock and overwhelming hunger.
Even the usually stoic Silver glanced toward the galley, his nose twitching almost imperceptibly.
Dorum stopped hammering the hull altogether and followed the aroma inside.
“What in the world…” “That smells incredible…” The fragrance seemed almost alive.
It drifted through every corner of the ship, awakening everyone’s appetite.
As though it were nothing remarkable, Ryne stirred the pot with a wooden ladle before serving the porridge into several coarse ceramic bowls.
The once-worthless ingredients had transformed completely.
The thick porridge shimmered with tiny beads of oil.
The diced meat looked juicy and tender.
Every bowl was irresistibly inviting.
“It’s ready.” He placed the bowls on the counter near the galley entrance.
Gatz charged over first.
Ignoring the heat, he grabbed a bowl and shoveled a mouthful straight into his mouth.
“Hot!
Hot!
HOT!” He yelped while desperately fanning his mouth.
Yet he never stopped eating.
The moment the porridge touched his tongue…
His eyes froze wide open.
The silky texture coated every inch of his mouth.
The salted meat, once dry and tough, had become unbelievably tender.
Each bite burst with rich juices.
The sweetness of the softened bread blended perfectly with the savory meat.
That mysterious umami flavor crashed over his taste buds like wave after wave from the sea.
Warmth flowed from his throat into his stomach.
Every trace of fatigue and hunger from the voyage vanished instantly.
His entire body relaxed.
“W-Wow…” “It’s incredible…” “It’s so good!” Tears nearly welled up in his eyes.
Within moments, he’d finished the entire bowl.
He immediately thrust the empty bowl toward Ryne with pleading eyes.
“P-Please…” “One more bowl!” Silver and Dorum ate with considerably more restraint.
Yet the speed at which they finished—and the unmistakable gleam in their eyes—betrayed just how deeply they were impressed.
When Silver finished, he did something completely out of character.
He looked at Ryne and simply said, “Excellent.” Leaning against the mast with his own bowl, Rocks wore an enormous grin.
He knew he’d made the right gamble.
This kid had turned the cheapest ingredients imaginable into a meal fit for royalty.
What terrifying talent.
Laughing loudly, Rocks strode over and vigorously ruffled Ryne’s hair.
“Hahahaha!” “Fantastic, kid!” “From today on…” “Anyone who disrespects our head chef…” “…answers to my fists first!” By now, Gatz had been utterly conquered by Ryne’s cooking.
After licking his bowl spotless, he hurried back over, his earlier arrogance completely gone.
Instead, he wore an embarrassingly flattering smile.
“Um…” “Chef Ryne…” “I was wrong.” “I shouldn’t have underestimated you.” “So…” “There’s still a little left in the pot, right?” “Even the crispy bits stuck to the bottom would be fine…” Ryne glanced at him.
“The pot’s already been washed.” Gatz instantly wilted like an abandoned puppy.
He slumped down outside the galley door, drawing laughter from everyone on board.
With nothing more than a humble pot of meat porridge…
Ryne had completely won over the proud pirates.